He was alone near the edge of a cliff, looking out over the nightlights of the city. Sighing, his midnight blue eyes closed wearily as he automatically adjusted the glasses on his nose. His head turned, eyes opening only long enough to examine his watch before closing them again in defeat.

//1:05... He's not coming.// He let his shoulders sag, not caring who saw his weakness. There was no one around anyway. There wouldn't have been. They'd made sure of that when they had picked this place. Total privacy.

He knew this would happen. Had seen it, but he'd hoped... He shook his head, hope alone could not change the future. They had fought. They always fought, but it had been worse this time. The look on the redhead's face as he left still haunted him. Complete disgust, perhaps hate, even. He swallowed convulsively, trying to rid himself of the sour taste rising in the back of his throat. His eyes clenched, fighting against the tears building behind his still closed lids.

::You make me sick, Crawford. You never... Just say how you feel!::

His fist tightened, his thumb rubbing over the soft exterior of the small box in his palm. He wished it was that simple, but he had closed himself off from his emotions for so long, he couldn't form the words. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to say anything close to what Shulderich had wanted to hear.

His fist came up, transfering the little box so it was held between the thumb and forefinger of his opposite hand. His thumb glided over a small button and the lid shot up to reveal a dark red, nearly black circle cut garnet enlaid in a band of antiqued silver. He has hoped he'd be able to show him how he felt tonight, when Schulderich showed up.

::Sunday night at twelve, Brad. We'll meet here every Sunday night at twelve. It's perfect! No on even knows this place exists.::

This was the first time he had not shown up in nearly a year.

::I'm tired of hiding *us*, Bradley. I'm sick to death of it. Who cares what the hell everyone else thinks?! This has nothing to do with them... Just tell me how you feel!::

He had stormed out a few moments after that, taking Crawford's silence as rejection as the man tried to find the words to explain. His jade eyes had reflected nothing more then disgust... And defeat.

"You waited too long, Crawford. He's given up on you," he whispered, raking his hand through the think strands of his dark brown hair. A tear escaped his tightly clenched eyes to streak down his cheek, followed by another to pool at the corner of his mouth. His foot kicked out, sending a rock over the edge of the grassy cliff.

He has tried to see what would happen next, earlier, but everything was pitch black. Maybe he was meant to follow the stone, to tumble onto the city below and rid the world of his blacken soul. Taking a breath, he stepped forward closing the box with a snap.

"Brad..." the word was whispered, the slightly nasal voice coming from behind him. God, how he used to hate that voice. Now he lived each day just to hear one word.

He turned, light glinting off the glass that shielded his eyes. Sapphire met emerald as Crawford shifted, not bothing to hide the state he was in. He was so tired of putting up the stone cold facade he used to protect himself from others.

"Schu, I..." he trailed off, struggling visably with himself. //I don't know how to say it. I just don't know.// his mind mourned helplessly.

The redhead took a step forward, "I understand. I'm sorry, Brad. This morning..."

Crawford raised a hand to silence him. Schulderich's mouth shut, his eyes widening on the small black box in the hand. "Bradley?"

The brunet sank to his knees before him, one hand coming out to clasp the other man's. "Schulderich... Schu, I l... I love you. Forever." The box pooped open and Schulderich swallowed. His eyes followed Crawford's hand as he carefully removed the ring from the box and slid it onto Schulderish's left ring finger.

"Forever and a day, Brad?" Schulderich asked, looking into Crawford's beautiful blue eyes as the man stood again. Crawford nodded and lean in to kiss the redhead deeply, relishing the unique taste.

//Forever, a day, a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates?// Schulderich asked pertly as he returned the kiss full force.

//Don't push it, Schu.// Brad returned, biting Schu's lower lip at the resulting mental chuckle before gathering the slightly smaller man into his tight embrace. Not for the first time, he was glad the future he had seen had been wrong.